I visit a lot of art museums and a lot of colleges, but I'm enough of an amateur in the art world…read morethat this was not on my radar, and I happened upon it mainly because my trip through the area was marred by rainy weather. This museum is the property of the Rhode Island School of Design (a separate, but partner institution to Brown). It is open to the public, charging a significant entry fee but with some free days that did not include the day I visited. The interior is quite substantial, containing multiple floors in multiple buildings. The collection certainly was not boring, ranging from a geographic history tour to a special exhibition on how the Inuit view seals to a floor of current student art (which must be a big deal to get into). I probably spent an hour and a half getting a solid perusal, dodging multiple school groups along the way. The collection wasn't all good, but it was thought-provoking, and given that it's an easy walk from pretty much anything else in downtown Providence, it is worth considering a stop her eif in the area.

First time exploring Providence, and while sadly was only here for one day, this was one of the…read morebiggest recommendations I got for an attraction to see. And coming through here, yeah, I can definitely see why. The RISD Museum has a really amazing and eclectic assortment of works from many different eras and locations, and you are certain to find something here to pique your interest. In one building, I went from seeing some ancient Egyptian, Roman, or Chinese statues, to Renaissance and early-modern paintaings, Victorian and Gilded age furniture, an assortments of modern and contemporary works, plus several rotating exhibits which had some very fascinating subject matters. The entire building has a somewhat strange floorplan, but this leads you to explore, discover, and find your path through the exhibits in different ways, almost like working through a puzzle to find some hidden treasures. And if you take your time, the museum can easily eat up half a day at least. As for a couple things to keep in mind; Parking can be a little tricky right close to the museum itself, as there are some street spaces nearby and paid parking garages. But frankly, downtown Providence is so nice that I'd advise parking further away and enjoying a lovely walk over along the canals. Admission price is very reasonable, but Sundays are apparently free entry days (or at least was when I visited). So yeah, if you only have a couple hours to kill in this town, the RISD Museum is very much worth a visit. Hope others can come and enjoy this amazing spot.

A great spot. $2 for general admission, $5 if you want to see the planetarium show too. Even with…read moreits small size you can't go wrong with those prices. As I said it is on the small side, in a hurry you could do the musuem in 15 minutes, and even taking your time it could be done in half an hour. There are plenty of displays, but not much in terms of factual information compared to other musuems. Check this place out, even if its not your thing for the price you can't go wrong.

Only 2 handicap parking spots and the entrance had steps where the door opens towards you are you…read moreare trying to come in. $2 admission is not bad and staff are friendly. So if you need an ADA parking spot, show up early and there's one in each of the parking lots adjacent to the building.

If you love pinball, you will love this arcade Best deal in…read moretown,UNLIMITED pinball for 10,00.. So much fun for all aged

Well that was super fun…read more When we arrived no one was on the desk so we began to wander the first floor. If you just want to walk around, and check out the machines that is free. I saw someone who works there and he gave us a quick 'tour'. Pinball machines are set up here by year beginning in the 1930's! There a many from the 70's, a big collection of 80's and then further back it's a mix. The tour took up upstairs. There is a wheelchair lift here, however, you have to step over a barrier at the bottom of the doorway leading to the stairs so not really handicap accessible? Call if you need info on that. Keep that door at the bottom of the staircase open so you can get back! At the top of the steps is a private event room. (sorry no photo, a meeting was going on). Turn right after the event room and follow the hallway to the 'Blue Room' on the left at the end. Here you'll find a small, open space for a party with shelves of board games, a table and comfy couches. The Blue Room includes several racing games (seated style), shooter games, skeeball, basketball throw and other arcade games. There were a couple dozen pinball machines without an outlet to play them stored in this space. Our tour guide tells us for events up to 150 people, these games are moved out and tables moved into that space. The second floor hosts many other businesses so be respectful when in the halls. Our visit lasted about two hours playing all the games. Some of the pinball machines include information on who designed them and other info. The Star Trek machine is signed by some of the actors. Scoobydoo, Addams family, Aerosmith, Rick & Morty, Dolly Parton, on and on. Some games have hepatic feedback - like when the dinosaur eats your ball in the Jurasic Park pinball game the entire machine shakes. I love how the machines are all set to 'free play'. You just hit the start button (usually a round button on the front) and you get your three balls. When that game ends, hit start again and you get another three balls. Also, if you loose a ball quickly, you get an extra ball. Really makes for a fun experience. Admission is ten dollars per person (all ages), cash or credit, and covers playing all the available games for the whole day - come and go as you please. Parking is available next to the building in two lots. No food or drink are available for sale here. When hosting an event here, bring your own catering. Contact them/visit their website for details on hosting events. Public restrooms are on the upper level off the hallway. The museum space is more or less warehouse space. It was cold in there when we visited and we left our coats and hats on (February). When there are a lot of games being played, it gets loud, so be prepared. There are a few step stools for the smaller kids. Check next to or under the machines for those or if you have a collapsable one at home maybe bring it along just in case they are all in use. During our week day visit there were a fair amount of adults in there enjoying pinball and all the other games. Staff are knowledgeable and very easy to chat with. Definitely plan an outting to visit this fun museum diguised as an arcade. Alone, or with the kids. You might become the 'fun uncle' after a day here with the nibblings.

Recently went to a murder mystery event here and had a blast. It was so much fun walking through…read morethe museum, which I never knew existed. Seeing the historic importance, the displays and fascinating information. I really loved just looking at the displays, absorbing the culture and history and seeing the varied rooms (loved the church!!!) So thrilled they held this event here so I could see this lovely museum!

Coming from Pawtucket, the home of the American Industrial Revolution, I'd never made the trek all…read morethe way out to Woonsocket to check the museum out. But my now LA-based daughter was visiting, and wanted to see the Welcome blanket exhibit since her friend had one on display. (I'm not certain how a museum here is the recipient of 330 handmade quilts and blankets - 99 of which are on display - that will be distributed by Dorcas House to new immigrants, but it's pretty cool right? Maybe because southern New England was the center of US cloth manufacture through the early-mid 20th century?) Ad for the Museum itself: the cultural component of this mill community is front and center. The space is set up in a number of immersive dioramas - rooms and areas visitors walk through to get an experience of those who lived there. The first stop is a farm cabin in Quebec in snowy winter where (push the doorbell) a family decides to move south in the hope of a better life working in the mills. In the replica of a French Canadian Catholic Church we read about religious life in America, and sit in pews near the actual mosaic altar boys to learn a bit about the wave of immigration and the mill worker experience, there's a credit union (kind of explains the Bailey Savings & Loan in It's a Wonderful Life). There's a school room, complete with a teacher/priest and books in the desks in French and English. On the stairs to the second floor, pass posters and stories about others groups of immigrants to the area, along with the rooms upstairs: Woonsocket baseball players, tenement houses, mill and factory memorabilia, and a room set up with the equipment workers toiled at. Oh - dint miss the display of a union hall! My daughter buzzes through art museums. We were here for about 2 hours. And then we got to the room with the blankets. Quite a relevant history lesson here!

I was very impressed with the car collection and the staff. We were greeted by very friendly staff…read moreas soon as we entered the museum. Another staff member gave us a brief introduction and asked if we had any additional questions. We didn't, so we were free to wander and explore. We visited on a rainy day and there were many people also exploring the museum but it did not feel crowded. It is a spacious facility that allowed room for everyone to have a closer look. There was a very knowledgeable gentleman discretely walking around and greeting people. We asked him a few questions and he was a walking encyclopedia of car information! Overall, it was a very fun visit for people who love cars and their loved ones.

I had a pretty fun time stopping in here yesterday, I must admit. They were really friendly and…read morewelcoming at the front desk, and the women's restroom was nice and clean. I honestly stopped in here to take pics of the cars for my dad. But ended up enjoying walking around and looking at everything on display. It's not super big, it took me about 45 mins to walk through. But it was something fun to do on a hot day inside.

Great staff and there so much to see. Being able to see some of these innovations in real life,…read morethat I had only previous seen in history books or documentaries was pretty neat. My favorite part was to see some of the belt driven machinery actually work. We had visited the day after a person had come and replaced some of the belts. We were able to see a belt driven (automated) saw cut through a chunk of metal. It was an impromptu demo as we were walking around the the staff member saw us examining this particular piece of equipment (with our eyes of course). And he started it up for us. Again...staff is really enthusiastic and engaging. We also got to see where they do hands on workshops, where kids can design and print things in 3D, which is pretty cool. They had a nice even space as well for smaller weddings/events. Easy parking (pay) in a nearby garage and a easy walk across the bridge/walkway to get to the museum. If this type of history interests you, I would definitely recommend you stopping by. We were there for a couple of hours and throughly enjoyed the staff showing us around. Cute gift shop as well.

I'm embarrassed to say that I've worked over a decade in this area of Waltham and have never…read morerealized this hidden gem of a historical museum existed. The guys working the front desk are super knowledgeable, funny, helpful and nice. One of them was kind enough to give us a brief intro when we first arrived. They can totally geek out on all sorts of interesting facts, which I live to absorb. Still, I wish I had planned it in advance so we could have a formal tour because there's so much to see. Before coming here I had no idea that Massachusetts held such a rich industrial heritage. We spent two hours exploring the two story museum. There were plenty of interactive exhibits (great for the kiddos and adults) and each time we looped around the museum we found something else we missed the first time going through. This place is a haven especially for those who are interested in history and engineering. They had antique bikes, wooden cars, steam fire engines, watchmaking tools, belt driven machines, typography machines, horse drawn fire truck, and even a phone booth! They also do a great job of mixing in some modern and new exhibits (e.g., we saw whimsical puppetry paintings by Tanya Harsch). The second floor also has a beautiful and grand ballroom space (perfect for corporate events or weddings). I can't wait to come back here. Whether you are local or from out of town I'd highly recommend a visit.

This site does a great job showcasing John Brown's house and his historical ties to the slave…read moretrade. The house is from the 18th century, but there are elements from later homeowners that were kept up and add a nice aesthetic touch, but it is important to know more about the Brown benefactor, both good and bad. They have his original carriage which is impressive. There is a beautiful mural in one room with George Washington, added in the 1930s but so impressive it had to stay up. The tour was self-guided, but there were staff members around to ask questions too. Gift shop was small but some good options. The hours are limited, but it's worth a stop as a historically significant site. There is also a parking lot to make your visit easier.

We went for the 250th university of the redaction, the event was free and open for 4 hours. The…read moremuseum was small but very informational. The displays prompted deep thinking about our past, both good and bad. The staff were dressed in period clothing and everyone there was friendly. The museum has stairs to get to the second floor, the building is beautiful and it holds just enough artifacts to be interesting without overwhelming.​

It's Halloween eve and a rainy night. My 10 year old and I embarked on a Victorian mourning tour…read moreat Hearthside. When I booked the tickets I thought it was a good idea, turned out to be a GREAT idea! I grew up just a few miles away and have driven by Hearthside thousands of times (no lie I now drive by twice a day to get to work) and have never been inside. Tonight my intrigue has been fed. Beautiful house, restored and maintained nicely. The volunteers are knowledgeable and willing to answer any questions. They were well equipped with information not only about the house but also about a former resident who passed away inside and even more about Victorian mourning traditions. Our tour was 6:30pm so it added to the slightly eerie feel the night before Halloween, entering in dark. The tour group was kept small (about 9 of us) which I think was the perfect size to move about through the house but also to fit in the size of the rooms. The volunteers were all dressed in proper Victorian attire and the house was prepared for mourning and a wake. A few tips when visiting the house: 1. Contrary to my thought of it being an old house and probably a little cold, the heat was roaring inside. 2. There are stairs and touring this house requires a lot of standing 3. This specific tour does go into deep detail about embalming, not for the faint of heart 4. My daughter enjoyed the tour and understood almost everything with little explanation. I would say not suitable for kids under 10 years old. A beautiful house filled with people who very much care about the stories that lie within its deep history. Well worth visiting. RIP Simon Eddy Thornton.

This place is amazing. All the events that are done here are amazing well planned. Definitely going…read moreback for another event . Staff is super friendly and communication is great before days of the event . A must visit

What a beautiful spot. So happy we found it, enjoyed the day here, exploring and being witness to…read moreso much in nature that we often don't take the time to see. The paths throughout are all maintained and the sounds that are so quiet except for the natural sounds of birds, frogs and even a chipmunk or two. It was such a pleasure to visit, thank you

A fantastic little getaway. I only did the trails but they were a nice time. The boardwalk has…read moresome nice views, and even the pathways are nice little escape.